


The End Of The Affair

by likelylucifer



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adam is an uncle, Adam is cranky, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Human, Dean and Castiel aren't really in this but they are a major theme, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Samandriel and Adam work together, Surprisingly John isn't a douche-bag in this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-29
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 03:23:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2372738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likelylucifer/pseuds/likelylucifer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"Samandriel looked around them trying to dismiss the awkwardness of the situation. He was pretty skeptical about if they really could dissemble all of the stuff before Friday. Just with the two of them it meant a lot of work, which was good in a way. Less time to try to make up a conversation with Mr. Uptight."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Pressured by his father, Samandriel gets a job at the Milligan's second hand bookstore. His "manager" Adam is taunt and rude and Samandriel can't help but to wonder if it's because of their older brothers - and their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End Of The Affair

_The end of the affair_

_The weight of the world_

_The kindness gone to bed_

_It's free of your laughter_

_Alive in the halls_

_Did he hear, did he hear_

_The fumbled words you said_

***

It was a remotely cold morning. Only 5 degrees and even when the wind wasn’t strong, it blew sharply. And unless you were protected, your cheeks turned to the color of strawberries.  
A young man tried to warm up his cheeks with his hands as he glanced around him, before crossing the street.

About a week ago Mr. Novak kicked his youngest son’s door open and kept an angry and loud speech about how he wasn’t going to support him financially for the rest of his life. Either Samandriel was getting a real job or publishing a bestselling book series real quickly or he’d find his ass on the streets sooner or later. Because of his father’s bad mood, Samandriel didn’t bother to correct him that he wouldn’t be publishing anything anyway: he was a writer not a publisher.  
For a moment Samandriel had really considered about calling a cab and going over to his closest living brother, and leaving behind the rat hole he was supposed to call his childhood home.  
It had been a very tempting thought.  
Still, he didn’t dare to leave his little sister Hael behind like that and he couldn’t have been sure that Raphael would have even taken him in. He had never been extremely close with his third oldest brother, who lived in the other side of the city and was getting himself a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Maybe if it had been Balthazar or Gabriel, he would have been more eager to leave his sister behind. But… what do you do.  
Obviously he wasn’t going to write a bestselling book series in a week. Good that he even found inspiration to write a grocery list nowadays. Which meant he had to find a job. His hometown Liljendal didn’t offer a lot of tempting positions, but if you were desperate (and lucky) you might just find something decent. That’s how Samandriel got his first real job as an assistant in _Milligan’s secondhand book store_.

The note on the door said closed so he bit the inside of his cheek and knocked. He didn’t see a lot from the windows because it still seemed to be dark inside the store. Samandriel frowned and checked the time from his phone. It was 07:02 AM and he was actually a few minutes late.  
He pressed his hands on the glass and then his eyes, searching for somebody moving inside of the store. He just saw a lot of shelves and boxes gloomily laying around.  
A cough next to him made him startle and move away from the window. Samandriel answered the young man’s wry expression with annoyance. He was almost over a head taller, but he looked no older than Samandriel. At oldest he could have been 20, but certainly not younger than 18. The young man (boy to be honest) was wearing a brown leather jacket and a big blue knitted sweater under it. His clothing was way lighter than Samandriel’s yet there wasn’t even the slightest hint of color on his face. He had a short dirty blonde hair - a bit messy like he had left in a hurry and his greenish blue eyes were taunt and as cold as the weather.  
Samandriel instantly realized that he knew the boy.  
“You’re Novak? The new assistant?” the boy asked with a neutral voice as he unlocked and opened the door.  
“Yes. Uh - Call me Samandriel if you like”, Samandriel answered hesitatingly following the boy inside.  
“I’m Adam -”  
“Winchester. I know”, Samandriel cut his words awkwardly. Adam gave him an annoyed glance, “Our brothers dated in high school. You remember Cas-”  
“Yeah whatever, I use Milligan nowadays. My dad got remarried last year, so the whole family’s name changed”, Adam said stiffly making Samandriel startle again, “Kate will bring your employment contract later today. We’re not opening until next Friday and we have to sort all these books into the shelves before that.”  
“Okay”, Samandriel mumbled cautiously. He was a bit taken back by Adam’s unfriendliness. He let his eyes wander around the store and almost sighed out of amaze. It was definitely bigger than it had looked from outside. As he had always been interested about writing, reading also had always been close to his heart.  
“ _Milligan’s_ was originally in Windom, Minnesota where Kate lived before. Along with the store we also have to take care of the net orders. From Monday to Friday it’s from seven to four. Weekends off unless we agree otherwise”, Adam explicated and made his way to the back room with Samandriel following him and trying to remember everything, “Once we open always keep the vest and the name tag on. You have an half hour lunch break at 11.30 and inform us about your absence at least a day before if you get sick. Understood?”  
Their eyes met properly for the first time and Samandriel nodded.  
“Yeah.”  
 _“Good._ ” Adam turned and started to delve one of the boxes the room was filled with. Samandriel looked around them trying to dismiss the awkwardness of the situation. He was pretty skeptical about if they really could dissemble all of the stuff before Friday. Just with the two of them it meant a lot of work, which was good in a way. Less time to try to make up a conversation with _Mr. Uptight_.  
“Here - keep it clean and intact”, Adam said and handed over the red wine colored vest with the logo _Milligan’s_ sewed to it with black, “I’ll get you your name tag before Friday.”  
“Thanks”, Samandriel murmured and looked at the vest for a moment before pushing it inside of his bag.  
After that Adam continued his fast explicating and walked around the store telling Samandriel how everything was supposed to do. What every box included and what section every line of shelves represented and where everything was supposed to go. In desperation Samandriel tried to remember it all even though he knew he wouldn’t - he was one those people whose absent-mindedness caused them trouble. And Adam was probably the last person you’d want to ask to explain again.  
At some points Adam paused and asked the same _Understood?_ with a tone that made sure there was only one possible answer. _Yes_. Samandriel hoped he would’ve taken a notebook with him to remember everything. After a time that felt like an eternity (hour and an half) Adam ended his speech with the words:  
“Let’s get to work.”  
Samandriel’s helpless expression must have given something away because after the five seconds of silently standing, Adam sneered and rolled his eyes.  
“Start with carrying the rest of the A marked boxes from the backroom to here. I’ll start unloading them”, he said and Samandriel gave him a small smile before hurrying to the backroom.  
For the next few hours he carried the boxes and then put them in an alphabetical order into the shelf. They were mostly silent - few time he had to ask what to do next and Adam gave a simple answer. At noon Samandriel realized his lunch hour had started when Adam clapped his hands together on the other side of the store.  
“Novak - your break starts now. I’ll see you quarter past twelve.”  
Samandriel didn’t bother to answer, knowing Adam wouldn’t care so he just got up, stretched his aching back and decided to grab a little something from the coffee shop next to the store.  
The coffee shop was small and cozy, but somewhat pricey. Samandriel bought a piece of tunapie and a coffee. He sat on the corner table for twenty minutes trying to clear his mind. Adam’s behaviour really upset him because of two reasons. First one was understandably that Adam didn’t know him. Samandriel disliked people who were rude to others without any reasons… and from that came the second reason: their brothers.

Samandriel had five older brothers. From oldest to youngest, they were Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Balthazar and Castiel. All of them had moved away years ago. Some by their own choice and some by their father’s. Michael left first. Just a little after Hael was born and their mom died. He moved to New York to study law and nowadays still lived there with a wife and a baby on the way. Gabriel was half kicked out and half he had planned it himself. Their father had lost his nerves completely that one evening 5 years ago when Gabriel told him he was going to drop out of college and move to Los Angeles to be an actor. Samandriel had slept that night with Hael next to him in the playhut build into the nursery room’s walk-in wardrobe. Hael had been two years old and Samandriel 14 years. Of course Castiel had been there with them then. Castiel out of all his brother’s had been the closest to him. At least had been when he still lived under the same roof with him.  
Next one to leave after that was Raphael. They ate a goodbye meal together and the next morning their father helped Raphael with the move. Every now and then Raphael came to visit - but nowadays not so often. After that it was Balthazar, who kind of didn’t tell anyone he was moving out. One day his stuff had just gone missing and their dad sneered and mumbled better off without him. Balthazar moved together with his girlfriend and started to work in her family’s company. Because of his silent stunt, he and Castiel weren’t in terms for a while - they had always been close too and that’s why it had upset Castiel.  
And then three years ago, when Samandriel was a junior and Castiel a senior happened the night he still remember as vividly as the worst nightmare anyone could have.  
Samandriel had known for a while - not because Castiel had told him, but he just could tell that his brother was gay and when Castiel started to hang out with Dean Winchester it was obvious.  
Samandriel had met Dean only once. After their dating became somewhat official, the three of them went to eat together. Dean was nice, he was laid back and warm and even when people looked at the way he held Castiel’s hand, his cheeks got no color. He wasn’t embarrassed. Samandriel found out Dean had even taken Castiel to meet his family already (even though Castiel’s father didn’t even know about his son’s sexuality). Samandriel remembered the mention of the youngest brother who would start high school the next year at their school. The evening had went great. Until they got home.  
Still joking in the corridor while taking their shoes off, their father had rushed to the door with his face red with rage. He shouted about his embarrassment when their  _neighbor had asked if Castiel was gay_ and _seeing that Winchester kid_. Samandriel had been sure Castiel would be able to calm their father down. He had been the only of them, who had been able to do that. Anyhow, for the first time ever something in Castiel just snapped - _broke_  - and he yelled “ _And what if I am?_ ”  
That night had been restless to say the least. Hael cried in her room because she was terrified of the noises and Samandriel wanted to go comfort her, but he didn’t dare to move while his father was shouting. Castiel yelled just as much.  
Samandriel had never seen his father neither his brother as mad as then. The night ended with their father pressing Castiel against the wall by his throat and saying that Castiel was dead to him. Samandriel begged Castiel to stay with his eyes when their gazes met, but Castiel’s lips tightened into a small line and then he left, never stepping a foot back into that house again.  
Castiel finished high school in three months living in a hotel room that Balthazar and Gabriel paid for. Samandriel was under house-arrest so he couldn’t go meet his brother, but sometimes he skipped a couple of classes and went over to Castiel’s. On the first day of summer, Samandriel went to say goodbye to the train station where Castiel and Dean were going to take a train to get out of Virginia. Dean’s family had been there as well to say goodbye. Samandriel never spoke to them because after Castiel gave him the last smile and a hug and went to join Dean and his family, Samandriel felt like an outsider. He felt like Castiel was now part of another family. Not his anymore.  
He still remembered the old man whose hair had white in it, tapping Dean on the back and shaking Castiel’s hand, and then stepping back with a young boy next to him. Dean’s other little brother was already taller than any of them and he smiled as he hugged both of them and then went to stand next to his brother and their dad. Dean and Castiel got into the train and soon the train was gone. That was the last time Samandriel saw him in person.  
A little over a year ago Castiel stopped sending postcards, calling or answering to calls. He apparently changed his phone number and moved away from New Orleans where he had lived in a small apartment with Dean. It still was one of the most painful things that had happened to Samandriel, but he understood if Castiel wanted to cut out his old life. Gabriel had agreed with him, that Castiel was a grown-up and he could do what he wanted. Balthazar had not taken it as easily. To be honest he still was bitter.

If Adam was being rude to him because of their brothers it could only mean two things. Either Dean and Castiel had broken up or they had also cut out Dean’s family. This option was unlikely because Adam seemed to be a taunt and cold person anyway. He hadn’t exactly been a ray of sunshine before the mention of their brothers.  
Samandriel checked the time from his phone and decided he might just as well head back to the store ten minutes early. Maybe it would earn him some plus points in Adam’s eyes. He knocked on the store’s door awkwardly before opening it.  
“Hey? I’m back”, he said hesitatingly and Adam came out of the backroom with a paper in his hands.  
“It’s your employment contract. Fill it and leave it on the table”, Adam commanded and gave the paper to him, and then walked over to the unfinished shelf.  
Samandriel praised God in his head that he had taken a pen with him, so he didn’t have to ask for one from Adam. He filled the contract as quickly as he could and then left it on the table. After that he returned to his own shelf and the rest of the day was quite like the morning. Full of work and silence.

 

***

Around seven pm, after they had had dinner and Samandriel had helped Hael with her homework, the phone rang. Their father wasn’t home so Samandriel got lazily up from the couch and walked to the kitchen. The number was very familiar.

“ _He’s not home yet I hope?_ ”

“No. Overtime I guess”, Samandriel answered thoughtfully and glanced at the clock on the wall. His father worked overtime very often, but if he didn’t, he was usually home by five. On the other side of the line, his brother let out a content noise.

 _“Good. So how’s my little brother doing?”_ Balthazar asked and even though Samandriel couldn’t see him, he knew Balthazar was smiling.

“Fine, thanks”, Samandriel murmured and turned to look at the television from the kitchen’s door with the phone on his ear, “I got a job.”

 _“Really? At where?_ ” Balthazar didn’t sound so surprised. Well, anyone could’ve guessed it would be sooner or later, when their father started pressuring Samandriel.

“At this new second hand bookstore. Hasn’t opened yet, but today was my first day.”

“ _Sounds lovely_ ”, Balthazar said and chuckled, “ _Guess I kind of saw the book store coming since it’s you._ ” All of his brother’s had always kind of picked on him because of his interest of writing and reading… well not Castiel… or Gabriel. Or actually Gabriel did pick on him, but he was also the most supportive. Having an unusual dream job (like an actor or a writer) was something he was familiar with..

“Mm”, Samandriel mumbled and pulled his focus away from the tv-screen, “Do you want to speak to Hael?”

“ _Ah yes please_ ”, Balthazar sounded smiley again and Samandriel took the phone little further away from his ear, before shouting to upstairs: “Hael! Balthazar is on the phone!”

In a fraction of a second the little black haired girl appeared to the stairs and ran them down like she was chased by hell hounds. She was seven and small for her age. So fractile looking. She had always just been. Probably because of the complications during her birth. From all of the children in their family, she and Castiel were the only ones who looked alike. Dark hair and big blue eyes. Hael jumped around Samandriel reaching for the phone.

“I wanna talk to Balthazar!” she sang, “Pleaase, pleaaasee, Andrieel, pleease!”

Samandriel smiled to his sister and gave her the phone without a fight.

“Heeey Balty”, Hael cooed to the phone.

Hael had been so small when Balthazar left. Barely four years old and she had already lost so many brothers. Their father and Balthazar weren't exactly in the best terms, but Balthazar came to visit as often as he could. That meant maybe once or twice in few months. Of course there was Christmases and birthdays, but Balthazar really wanted to be there for Hael so they talked on the phone few nights a week. Hael mostly told him about her days with every little detail and Balthazar never stopped her - not even once. Samandriel thought it was nice. Considering how the other brothers seemed to have forgotten that she existed. Michael on his very rare visits mostly ignored her. To be honest she never really showed a lot interest in him. At younger age she didn’t even recognize him taking that she was just a baby when he left. Gabriel didn't visit often either. Just on special occasions and he wasn’t the type for chit chatting over the phone. But every time he met with Hael again, it was like their minds were connected. They got so well along - mostly because Gabriel was just so fun to be around and he always brought candy. Raphael had never been invited to her tea parties but he showed that he cared with birthday cards and coming over to babysit when anyone else couldn't.

By cutting out everyone from his past, Castiel had also cut out Hael. Samandriel still remembered last New Year’s eve when Hael had asked for Castiel for the last time. She had asked if Castiel had started to answer his phone calls so she could wish him a happy new year. Explaining her that it wasn’t possible made her just purse her little lips and nod. Like that Castiel slowly faded away from her life.

Samandriel glanced at his little sister from the corner of his eye. She had a big smile on her lips as she told Balthazar about the A she got on the alphabet test. Apart from everything she still seemed to be okay. Samandriel turned his gaze back to television and zoned out again.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah... So I hope you enjoyed :* This isn't going to be very long story, five - ten chapters. I don't know yet. English isn't my native language, but I hope I did okay. Also this is my first Adamandriel fic ever... and I haven't decided yet if their relationship is going to become a big thing in this. Tell me what you think.  
> Also the Novak's father isn't Chuck - he wouldn't be an abusive asshat like that. I'm sorry if some of the characters are a bit of out of... character :S I'm doing my best.  
> The lyrics from the start are from Ben Howard's song "The End of the affair" :) great song, inspired me for this story. If you haven't heard it go listen to it!


End file.
